Article-conveying device

ABSTRACT

AN ARTICLE-CONVEYING DEVICE FOR PROVIDING DELAY IN THE CONVEYANCE OF AN ARTICLE WHEN NECESSARY WITHOUT INTERRUPTING THE SPEED OF THE ARTICLE. THE INVENTION PROVIDES A REGULAR CIRCULAR PATH AND AN AUXILIARY CIRCULAR DELAY PATH TANGENT THERETO IN FIG. 8 FORM WITH MEANS TO SELECT WHICH PATH AN ARTICLE IS TO FOLLOW. DETECTION OF THE PRESENCE OF ARTICLES IN EITHER PATH IS BY PHOTOCELLS WHICH RELAY INFORMATION TO A CENTRAL CONTROL WHICH CONTROLS THE PATH-SELECTION MEANS. AN ARTICLE WHICH IS TO DELAYED IS TAKEN OUT OF THE REGULAR PATH AND GUIDED INTO THE AUXILIARY PATH TO REMAIN THEREIN FOR AT LEAST ONE REVOLUTION OF THE PATH, AND IS RETURNED TO CONTINUE ITS JOURNEY IN THE REGULAR PATH WHENEVER THE CENTRAL CONTROL SO DIRECTS.   D R A W I N G

United States Patent [72] Inventor Herman Karel Maria Verhoeven St.Niklaas-Waas, Belgium [21] Appl. No. 849,684 [22] Filed Aug. 13, 1969[45] Patented Jan. 4, 1972 [73] Assignee International Standard ElectricCorporation New York, N.Y. {32] Priority Aug. 27, 1968 [3 3] Netherlands[31] 6812166 [54] ARTICLE-CONVEYING DEVICE 7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 271/64, 27 1/5 2 [51] Int. Cl B6511 5/26, B65h 9/16 [50]Field otSearch 217/64, 51, 52

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,012,775 12/1961 Buslik eta1. 271/52 3,083,012 3/1963 Poland 271/64 3,329,424 7/1967 Rabek 271/643,466,029 9/1969 Jensen et al. 271/51 Primary Examiner-Joseph WegbreitAssistant ExaminerBruce l-l. Stoner, Jr.

Attorneys-C. Cornell Remsen, Jr., Walter J. Baum, Paul W. Hemminger,Percy P. Lantzy, Philip M. Bolton, Charles L. Johnson, Jr. and lsidoreTogut ABSTRACT: An article-conveying device for providing delay in theconveyance of an article when necessary without interrupting the speedof that article. The invention provides a regular circular path and anauxiliary circular delay path tangent thereto in F IG. 8 form with meansto select which path an article is to follow. Detection of the presenceof articles in either path is by photocells which relay information to acentral control which controls the path-selection means. An articlewhich is to be delayed is taken out of the regular path and guided intothe auxiliary path to remain therein for at least one revolution of thatpath, and is returned to continue its journey in the regular pathwhenever the central control so directs.

PATENTED JAN 41972 131632.105

sum 1 or 2 Inventor HERMAN K, Val/Div Agent PATENTEnm 4m: 315 321105SHEET 2 BF 2 I nvenlor HER/WAN K. M. VERIIOEI/EN yf/MZ? 1 AgentARTICLE-CONVEYING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to an article-conveying device.

In article-handling systems, and more particularly document-handlingsystems, it often happens that during the travel of a document at aconstant speed from one position to another position along a path,operations must be performed in parallel in a processing unit in orderto obtain information to be used at the moment the document arrives inthis other position. If the time required to perform these operations issmaller than the travel time of the document this information istemporarily stored into memory, but when this operation time is largerthan this travel time, one may delay the arrival of the document in thesecond position by temporarily stopping it between the first and secondpositions, or by stopping it in this second position. Drawbacks of thesesolutions are: that it is very difiicult, if not impossible, to stopdocuments without damaging them, especially when they are light; and tobring stopped documents in motion in such a way that they immediatelyhave the same speed as that at which they were previously conveyed,since there always occurs slippage during this acceleration movement.Moreover, while the time needed to return the document to its steadytraveling speed may be without importance in some cases, it may be ofconsiderable concern in other cases. In principal, in case the documentis stopped before reaching the second position, if the time of arrivalin the second position is predetermined, the acceleration time may betaken into account. But if the time of restart is determined by a randomevent there will always be an undesirable delay due to the accelerationtime.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide an article-conveying device which does not presentthese drawbacks.

The article-conveying device according to the present invention isparticularly characterized in that it includes means to impart movementto the article along a closed loop path and to selectively direct thearticle in and out of the path.

The present conveying device is further characterized in that the meansfor imparting movement to the article include a rotatable cylindricaldrum with an associated holding arrangement to hold the article incontact with the peripheral surface of the drum thus imparting movementto the article along a circular path.

The present invention also relates to an article conveying deviceincluding means to convey a document along a path.

A preferred embodiment of the article-conveying device according to thepresent invention includes a continuously rotating cylindrical drumwhich has at one side a peripheral collar and the peripheral surface ofwhich makes contact with a number of freely rotatable rollers which areso mounted with respect to the drum that a document introduced in thepath delimited by these rollers and the peripheral surface is urgedtowards said collar. This drum is arranged tangentially to a main path,and a points mechanism mounted at the point of tangency is able todeflect a document from this main path into the bypath between the drumand the rollers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above-mentioned and other objectsand features of the invention will become more apparent and theinvention itself will be best understood by referring to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a conveying device according to the invention;and FIG. 2 is a side view from right to left of FIG. 1 with a pluralityof parts removed for clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to these figures, thearticle and more particularly document-conveying device shown thereinincludes a main mounting plate 1. Auxiliary mounting plates 2 and 3 areparallel to mounting plate 1 and are secured thereon by means of bracket4 and axle 5, a hollow cylindrical sleeve 6, and a not shown bracketrespectively.

A wheel 7 is mounted on axle 5 so as to be freely rotatable thereon andis driven in the direction shown by means of drive belt 8. A pluralityof rollers 9 to 14 are mounted in contact with this drive belt 8, theserollers being freely rotatable about the respective axles 15 to 20 whichare fixed on mounting plate 1.

A cylindrical drum 2] having a peripheral collar 22 adjacent to mountingplate 1 is secured to a drive shaft 23 of a motor (not shown), thisdrive shaft 23 being partially located in the hollow cylindrical sleeve6 and being rotatable in the direction shown. Drive belt 8 and drum 21delimit a gap 44. It is to be noted that the axial length of the drum issmaller than the width of the smallest document capable of beinghandled.

Three blocks 24, 25, 26 are secured to mounting plate 1. The surface 27,28, 29 facing mounting plate 3 of each of these blocks is oblique withrespect to mounting plate 1. Adjacent to each of its two extremitieseach of these blocks 24, 25, 26 carries an axle 30, 31; 32, 33; 34, 35on which a roller 36, 37; 38, 39; 40, 41 is mounted in a freelyrotatable way, these axles being perpendicular to the surfaces 27, 28,29 of these blocks respectively.

Two further rollers 45 and 46 are mounted in a freely rotatable wayabout the respective axles 47 and 48 secured to brackets which are fixedon mounting plate 2. For instance roller 45 is mounted on axle 47secured to bracket 49 which is fixed on mounting plate 2.

An electromagnet 50, SI constituted by an E-shaped core 50 and a winding51 arranged around the middle leg of this core 50 is mounted on mountingplate 1 by means of nuts 52, 53. In a similar way an electromagnet 54,55 constituted by an E- shaped core 54 and a winding 55 arranged aroundthe middle leg of this core 54 is mounted on mounting plate 3 by meansof nuts 56, 57. The E-shaped cores 50, 54 delimit a gap 58 which islocated in the prolongation of the gap 44 between drive belt 8 and drum21. A resilient points blade 59 made of a magnetic material and fixed toa bracket 60 extends into the gap 58 wherein it is in contact eitherwith core 50, as shown, or with core 54.

A lamp 61 and an associated photocell 62 are mounted in front of eachother on mounting plates 2 and 1 respectively. Likewise a lamp 63 and anassociated photocell 64 are mounted in front of each other on mountingplates 3 and 1 respectively. These lamps and photocells form part of anelectric control circuit (not shown).

Finally, a plurality of guide plates 65 to 72 are perpendicularlymounted on mounting plate 1 at a certain distance from the lateralsurface of drum 21 nearest to mounting plates 2 and 3. Rollers 9 to 14,belt 8, guide plates 65 to 69, and the end 73 of resilient blades 59,when in contact with core 54, form a partial cylindrical guide channelor main path 42, whereas drum 21, rollers 45, 36 to 41, and 46, guideplates 70, 71, and 72 and the same end 73 of resilient blade 59, when incontact with core 50, form a cylindrical guide channel or bypath 43which is tangent to the main path 42 and which has a curvature ofopposite sign to that of this main path.

It is to be noted that in FIG. 2 parts 9, 10, ll, 12, 38, 39, and 61 to72 have not been shown for clarity.

OPERATION Normally drive belt 8, wheel 7, and drum 21 are in motion andthe end 73 of points blade 59 in in contact with core 54 of the operatedelectromagnet 54, 55. Electromagnet 50, 51 is in the released condition.It is supposed that the linear velocities 5 of belt 8 and drum 2] areequal.

When a document enters guide channel or main path 42 it is conveyedalong this path between drive belt 8 and idle rollers 9, 10, and 11successively. At the moment its leading edge interrupts the light beambetween lamp 61 and photocell 62 a signal is transmitted to theabove-mentioned electric control circuit which decides whether thedocument must be deflected into by path 43 or not.

In the second case clectromagnet 54, 55 is maintained in the energizedstate so that the document is further advanced towards the outlet ofguide channel or main path 42 between drive belt 8 and rollers l2, l3,and 14 successively.

In the first case electromagnet 54, 55 is released and electromagnet 50,51 is energized so that the end 72 of points blade 59 is displaced intocontact with core 50 of this electromagnet. Due to this, and since itswidth is larger than the axial length of the drum, the document thenenters the cylindrical guide channel or bypath 43 along which it isconveyed between drum 2] and rollers 46, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, and 36successively. At the moment its leading edge interrupts the light beambetween lamp 63 and photocell 64 a signal is transmitted to theabove-mentioned electric control circuit which decides whether thedocument must continue its movement in bypath 43 or not. In the firstcase the electromagnet 50, 51 is maintained in the energized conditionso that the document continues to be advanced along guide channel orbypath 43 by drum 21 and rollers 45, 46, etc' in the second caseelectromagnet 50, S1 is released and electromagnet 54, 55 is energizedso that the document is then advanced in guide channel or main path 42towards the outlet thereof.

It should be noted that due to the linear velocities of drive belt 8 anddrum 21 being equal no slippage of a document handled occurs.

The aim of the obliquely mounted rollers 36 to 41 is to urge thedocuments conveyed in guide channel 43 towards the peripheral collar 22of drum 21 and thus to line up these documents. it has indeed beenempirically found that when these rollers are parallel to the mountingplate 1 the documents gain a helical movement urging them out of guidechannel 43.

It should be noted that the rollers 36 to 41 may be eliminated whenusing a hollow drum 21 having a perforated surface and an interiorcoupled to exhausting means.

In the above-described embodiment of an article-conveying deviceaccording to the invention main path 42 is tangent to the circularbypath 43. Instead of being circular, bypath 43 may obviously also takeother form or may be an open path which communicates with the main pathin two positions and which is such that the time required for a documentto travel between these positions along this bypath is larger than thatrequired for a document to travel along this main path.

What is claimed is:

1. In this article-conveying device, the arrangement comprising:

a. first means, defining a curved continuous first path for impartingmovement to articles along said first path;

b. second means defining a substantially circular continuous secondpath, said second means including a drum the peripheral surface of whichis positioned proximate said first path so as to provide said first andsecond paths with a coincident point of tangency; and

c. switch means for selectively guiding articles from said first pathinto said second path and vice versa, said switch means including atwo-position points mechanism positioned between said first and secondpaths at said coincident point of tangency, said points mechanism beingarranged in the one position to permit articles in the first path toremain therein and articles in the second path to return to the firstpath, and in the other position permit articles in the first path to beconveyed into the second path and for articles already in the secondpath to remain therein, said switching means further including thirdmeans for detecting articles in either path and electromagnetic meansresponsive to said detecting means for switching said switch means inaccordance with the transit time period requirement for each articlebetween the input and output of said first path.

2. An article-conveying device comprising first means for impartingmovement to an article along a substantially circular closed loop firstpath and to selectively direct the article in and out of said firstpath, said first means including a rotatable cylindrical drum and anassociated holding arrangement to hold the article in contact with theperipheral surface of said drum, wherein said peripheral surface of saiddrum is delimited at one side by a peripheral collar and said holdingarrangement includes freely rotatable rollers mounted with respect tosaid drum such that contact is made by said rollers with said peripheralsurface and the article located thereon is urged toward said peripheralcollar.

3. The article-conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the axialwidth of said peripheral surface is smaller than the smallest width ofthe articles conveyed.

4. The article-conveying device according to claim 2. wherein itincludes second means to impart movement to said article along a secondpath tangent to said closed loop path.

5. The article-conveying device according to claim 4 wherein said firstand second means include a common points mechanism which is mounted atthe point of tangency of said paths and which is adapted to direct saidarticle into or out of said closed loop path.

6. The article-conveying device according to claim 5 wherein said firstand second means impart movement to said article at the same speed.

7. The article-conveying device according to claim 6 wherein thedirection of article movement associated with said first and secondpaths is respectively counterclockwise and clockwise.

1. In an article-conveying device, the arrangement comprising: a. firstmeans, defining a curved continuous first path for imparting movement toarticles along said first path; b. second means defining a substantiallycircular continuous second path, said second means including a drum theperipheral surface of which is positioned proximate said first path soas to provide said first and second paths with a coincident point oftangency; and c. switch means for selectively guiding articles from saidfirst path into said second path and vice versa, said switch meansincluding a two-position points mechanism positioned between said firstand second paths at said coincident point of tangency, said pointsmechanism being arranged in the one position to permit articles in thefirst path to remain therein and articles in the second path to returnto the first path, and in the other position permit articles in thefirst path to be conveyed into the second path and for articles alreadyin the second path to remain therein, said switching means furtherincluding third means for detecting articles in either path andelectromagnetic means responsive to said detecting means for switchingsaid switch means in accordance with the transit time period requirementfor each article between the input and output of said first path.
 2. Anarticle-conveying device comprising first means for imparting movementto an article along a substantially circular closed loop first path andto selectively direct the article in and out of said first path, saidfirst means including a rotatable cylindrical drum and an associatedholding arrangement to hold the article in contact with the peripheralsurface of said drum, wherein said peripheral surface of said drum isdelimited at one side by a peripheral collar and said holdingarrangement includes freely rotatable rollers mounted with respect tosaid drum such that contact is made by said rollers with said peripheralsurface and the article located thereon is urged toward said peripheralcollar.
 3. The article-conveying device according to claim 2 wherein theaxial width of said peripheral surface is smaller than the smallestwidth of the articles conveyed.
 4. The article-conveying deviceaccording to claim 2 wherein it includes second means to impart movementto said article along a second path tangent to said closed loop path. 5.The article-conveying device according to claim 4 wherein said first andsecond means include a common points mechanism which is mounted at thepoint of tangency of said paths and which is adapted to direct saidarticle into or out of said closed loop path.
 6. The article-conveyingdevice according to claim 5 wherein said first and second means impartmovement to said article at the same speed.
 7. The article-conveyingdevice according to claim 6 wherein the direction of article movementassociated with said first and second paths is respectivelycounterclockwise and clockwise.